and now, from washington's leading news station, this is news 4 today. >> the fallout from a maryland high school football scandal. five students have left dematha catholic high school since the school kicked them off the team for hiring prostitutes. traffic alert on metro. several station are closed this morning. what you need to know before you get caught in the delays. a lot of news to share this morning. i'm angie goff. >> i'm richard jordan. today is saturday, september 8th, 2012. of course, those metro issues are going to affect a lot of people this weekend getting around. >> they sure are, but you're going to be happy about the weather if you walk out early this morning.

chuck bell, it was so cool outside, such a wonderful breeze average beautiful morning outside, no doubt about that. you better enjoy the dry hours on your saturday while they're here because your saturday will, in most like lihood, get you we before it's done. outside right now, still a pretty cloudy start outside. no raindrops anywhere near us just yet. 76 here in town. but you're right, it's noticeably cooler out to the north and west. temperatures mid-60s across much of the shenandoah valley. upper 70s bayside locations. storm 4 radar, not much going on around our area just yet. showers and a rumble of thunder out to ocean city, rehoboth. but out to the west, a strong cold front promises raindrops as early as 11:00 a.m. to noon time frame. thickening clouds this morning, showers and thunderstorms arriving for this afternoon. some of which by mid to late afternoon could be strong to severe. we'll keep a close eye on that. plus it's saturday morning.

who's playing, when they're playing and where they're playing, sense your college game day football requests to me chuck.bell@n brks krr chuck.bell@nbc. >> dematha defeated calvert hall but did so without five of their players. five students withdrew from the school after accusation they hired prostitutes following a road game in north carolina last weekend. the students reportedly hired the prostitutes from a website and snuck them in after team chaperones completed final room checks. >> the school stands behind our coach, elijah brooks, his staff, the school staff who monitored the trip and our students. the school community is saddened and hurt by the actions of these few who do not reflect the character of the community. >> the students were set to be expelled from the school yesterday, by decided to voluntarily withdraw instead.

a d.c. police captain is facing assault charges accused of attacking his own wife. court records show captain lavar west and his wife were arguing in the backseat of a moving car monday in upper marlboro. the documents say he started to choke her and the driver and another passenger had to hold him down until police arrived. west is charged with second degree assault. police have not commented on his status with the department yet. the husband of a former falls church mayor convicted of sexually assaulting two girls in hiswn home is vowing to appeal. michael gardner was sentenced to prison for touching girls at a slumber party last year. he maintained his innocence in court saying he'd been falsely accused. parents of the victims who we are not identifying because of the nature of the crime say they're disappointed that gardner isn't accepting responsibility. >> i don't think he has the ability within himself to admit

what he truly is. >> gardner's wife, former falls church mayor robin gardner, says she believes her husband is innocent and will stand by him. a d.c. pastor is vowing to continue her church's mission in spite of a brazen robbery last weekend. this happened at st. stephen episte copal church. police say he forced the victim to the ground at gunpoint, then robbed him. the pastor admits the robbery was a shock but their work will not change. >> our doors will remain open, and that is our mission, and if we were ever to have to close our doors for fear, we might as well just close them forever. >> the robber made off about the victim's iphone and wallet. police are still looking for him. we have two major traffic alerts for you this weekend. one good, one bad. let's start off with the bad news. metro could be a mess. seven stations are affected by

track work on the system's busiest line and three stations are closed completely. news 4's megan mcgrath has more on the potential headaches. >> reporter: planning to ride the red line this weekend? well, think again. major track work is closing a large section of the line. instead of hopping a train, you'll be boarding a bus. >> it will impact me, it will impact me getting to work, but i guess they have a good reason for doing so, i hope. >> reporter: no red line service between dupont circle and the no-ma-gallaudet stations. the gallaudet station only open to glenmont traffic. three stations closed entirely. farrah gut north, judiciary square and union station. and it's only blue and orange lines for metro center at gallery place, green and yellow are the only options. for those who ride the red on the weekend, it's going to be a

tough one. >> probably not going to be doing anything coming this way. i was really relying on metro, and you know, weekend traffic is pretty bad so -- >> reporter: you're going to stick close to home. >> yep. kind of have to. >> a big inconvenience. we're putting a lot of money into the system. i mean, there's got be other options. >> reporter: while inconvenient, metro says the pain will produce positive results. newly installed fiber-optic cable will boost cell phone coverage and workers will perform needed track maintenance and third rail upgrades. now, you can hop a bus to get around the closure, but buses aren't as fast as the train, so you're advised to build some extra time into your trips this weekend. from the dupont metro station, megan mcgrath, news 4 today. so now for the good news. drivers in northern virginia will finally find some relief at one of the area's most congested interchanges. two new ramps open today connecting the eastbound dulles access road to the beltway's inner and outer loops.

this is a look from chopper 4. drivers on the access road used to are have to crouse several lanes. causing major traffic headaches. now that the tickets are set for decision 2012, it is back to the campaign trail for both candidates this morning. this weekend president obama will be taking a bus tour through florida. he'll start in st. petersburg before traveling to kissimmee later today. he will also make stops in melbourne and west palm beach tomorrow before heading back to the white house. meanwhile, republican nominee mitt romney will be in our backyard again today. he plans to hold a rally this afternoon at the military aviation museum in virginia beach. then tonight, he will make a pit stop in richmond. that's where he will help start tonight's federated auto parts 400 nascar race at the richmond international raceway. his wife ann just made a stop in virginia yesterday to speak to william in leesburg. jesse jackson jr. could soon be back to work after being

treated for bipolar disorder. jackson went for treatment in june after collapsing at his home here in d.c. his doctors revealed he went to the mayo clinic in minnesota for treatment. one of jackson's aides says he could be back to work as early as monday. he's up for re-election this november. today a longtime d.c. grocery store will close its doors. the safeway in petwark will close today as it prepares for a huge makeover. it will be three times bigger and a mixed use development with buildings. it will keep open in a temporary location near the construction site. the store opened in 1963 and is expected to reopen some time in 2014. well, if you are looking to get rid of some of your paper clutter in your home, today you can get rid of it and protect your identity all for free. today is the nbc washington/pnc community shred. it is 8:00 to 11:00 at the

prince george's community college. that's in largo. don't bring batteries, electronic equipment, dvds and c cds, binders and hanging files. we'll have a live report from the community shred coming up at 9:00. and i forgot my bag. i'm so -- >> i told you to remind me. >> i know, but i forgot. we're too forgetful. >> we'll have to wait till the next time. speaking of time, it's 6:09. good morning, everybody. coming up on news 4 today this year, it marks 11 years since the september 11th attacks. as the anniversary approaches many people will visit the 9/11 memorial in new york city, but there's something missing. we'll explain. then stephen strasburg pitched his last home start of the season.

welcome back. with the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks just days away, thousands will be heading to the ground zero memorial site in new york city to remember that day. >> but visitors won't be able to stop at a museum dedicated to

the lives lost 11 years ago. andr andrew sif takes a look. >> one year after it opened, the national september 11th memorial in lower manhattan is an emotional magnet. >> you just can't forget that day. absolutely spectacular. they did a beautiful job. >> reporter: while most visitors seem touched -- >> lets you sit back and reflect. >> reporter: behind these reflecting pools, there is also simmering disappointment. >> without a museum, it's a travesty. >> reporter: edie ludnick wears a broken heart necklace for her brother. >> broken but never severed. >> reporter: he was among the employers at cantor fitzgerald killed in the 9/11 takens. >> without a museum this memorial doesn't teach you anything. it doesn't tell them anything about what happened on that day. it doesn't tell them anything about the people who were

murdered there. >> reporter: 11 years later the bond trading firm that lost more employees than anyone is again thriving. now in midtown. >> this is 200,000. >> reporter: the cantor fitzgerald relief fund led by edie lutnick has helped raise millions for 9/11 families. she also wrote "an unbroken bond" about the politics behind delays at ground zero. >> to me that's a missed opportunity because that's 4.5 million people who saw what appears to be a random listing of names around two waterfalls. >> reporter: what's behind the delay? there's plenty of blame to go around. the city says the port authority, which is controlled by governors christie and cuomo suddenly stopped construction nine months ago. the port says it's the city-controlled memorial that owes tens of millions of dollars. >> the museum was supposed to open this year. we understand that it has to happen. >> reporter: memorial and museum president joe daniels tells me if construction resumes soon,

the museum could open in a year. >> we want it done as soon as possible. >> reporter: until then, visitors peek behind the glass at steel beams and other artifacts that will one day be exhibits. >> i think that's the one that was affected. i think it woot be a more rewarding experience to see details that would be a more fulfilling visit. >> reporter: an echo of what 9/11 relatives say without a museum like the skyscrapers around them, the experience is incomplete. >> and that was nbc's andrew sith reporting from new york. the cathedral says it will offer prayers during its regularly scheduled services all day long. reverend doctor francis wade, the interim dean of the cathedral says the church has to help the country heal and move past the tragedy of 11 years ago. he says the cathedral will offer

prayers for victims and military service members. the time right now is 6:15. d.c. water officials is helping one neighborhood that's been under water a lot this summer. plus storms are in the forecast. [ romney ] this president can ask us to be patient. this president can tell us it was someone else's fault. but this president cannot tell us that you're better off today than when he took office. [ female announcer ] here in virginia, we're not better off under president obama. his defense cuts threaten over one hundred thirty thousand jobs, lowering home values, putting families at risk. the romney plan? tax cuts for middle class families. north american energy independence. create over three hundred forty thousand new jobs for virginia. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approved this message.

today residents of d.c.'s bloomingdale neighborhood can learn tips on how to prevent flooding in their area. d.c. water is hosting a workshop to teach residents about backflow preventer devices. now, the devices will help ease the stress on the neighborhood's sewers during heavy rain.

officials might also install new storm drains. the neighborhood has flooded several times this summer including just last weekend. the workshop goes from 2:00 this afternoon to 4:00 at the bryant street pumping station. the last thing they want to hear is that more rain's coming. but guess what? >> guess what? that's what chuck's here for. >> that's right. we do have a pretty good risk of rain today. some of that, for better or worse, will come down in buckets from time to time, so you need to be very aware -- >> in buckets? >> in buckets, absolutely. a strong september cold front is on the way. it still feels like lingering august outside first thing this morning. but by this time tomorrow, spectacular september will be here. but between now and then, we have a round of showers and thunderstorms to get through starting late this morning for you folks out toward the shenandoah valley and ending some time this evening outside along the chesapeake bay. it's a nice way to get the day started, but oh, it's so humid out there.

75 our current temperature. dew point 73 degrees. that's why i say it feels like a little touch of august still hanging on out there. that dew point will be in the 50s by this time tomorrow. current temperatures, mid-60s out in the shenandoah valley. down towards warrenton, 72 fredericksburg this morning. not too much showing up on doppler, a few sprinkles in the bay and a few rumbles of thunder down to ocean city. this line of thunderstorms now moving into far southwestern parts of pennsylvania, that is what's moving in our direction. here's interstate 81 for reference. so still a couple of hours away from i-81, but eventually that shower and thunderstorm chance will cross 81 and eventually be right into the i-95 corridor by the time we get to mid to late afternoon. so a stormy saturday coming after a quiet and humid start today. strong to possibly severe thunderstorms rolling through here beginning out west late this morning then coming through our area in to d.c. metro.

i think starting as early as 1:00, 2:00 this afternoon, then rolling up to 7:00, or 8:00. nice weather comes in with full sunshine back by tomorrow afternoon. today mostly cloudy, showers and thunderstorms likely. don't stray too far from your umbrella today. some will be strong and severe. keep a weather eye to the sky. tomorrow some clouds around in the morning, but then turning sunny and much drier, lower humidity and a xworjous day, highs upper 70s to low 80s. warm and humid and stormy today, clearing out and turning much nicer by late tomorrow. and check out the rest of that seven-day forecast, sunday, monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday all gorgeous and highs in the low 80s. college football, the cavalier hosting the nittany lions of penn state. a noon kickoff. folks going to that game will be packing up their bags soon. do not go without your rain

poncho and the true preparation for running from the raindrops. they may have thunderstorms down there, strong to severe at game time. be very weather aware. if you want to get your game on during the 9:00 show send me who is playing and where they're playing chuck.bell@nbc.com. it will culminate with my forecast. >> you're so excited it's back. >> there's a national championship on the line every week in college football. >> speaking of sports stephen strasburg gets shelled in his last home start of the season. >> and a shocker in the nfl. carol maloney has your morning sport in a minute. >> good morning, i'm carol maloney and your sports minute starts with baseball. marlins visiting the nationals. steven strasbourg on the mound for the nats in what's scheduled to biz his last home start. things didn't go well for

strauss. his arm might not have been on but bryce harper's was throwing a laze are from center and gets greg dobbs out at the plate. to baltimore, orioles coming off a win against the yankees but couldn't get done in game two of the series. yankees belt three home runs. now a game back in the a.l. east. to football, redskins kicking things off against the sants tomorrow. and new orleans will get a couple players back. an appeals panel overturned the suspensions for four players involved in the bounty-gate scandal. two are still with the team. jonathan vilma won't play sunday because of a knee injury but the saints best pass rusher? will smith. expected to see the field against the skins. yet another element robert griffin iii will have to prepare for in his regular season debut. and that's your sports minute. i'm carol maloney, have a great day. forget politics, the state department is hoping the power

of food can help in diplomatic endeavors. last night the department launched a program employing famous chefs as resources for diplomacy. they're going to help prepare meals for foreign dignitaries and also take part in programs abroad. and there are some pretty big local names taking partp. chef jose andress, rock harper brian vatalgio. one virginia woman paid just $7 for a priceless antique painting. the anonymous owner bought the painting at a flea market in the shenandoah valley more than a year ago. she said shed liked the frame and plunked down $7 for it. turns out the painting is an authentic renoir worth $700,000. she paid $7. the woman said she was going to take the picture out of the frame and replace it.

>> the lady brought it in a plastic bag. when i told her it was, she was taken to the side by a colleague because she nearly passed out. >> they believe renoir painted this piece in 1879. >> the reason why we didn't hear from her, is she wishes to remain anonymous. you know what drew her to the box? >> what happened. >> she saw a paul bunyan doll. and she'd never seen a paul bunyan doll. but she didn't even entertain the idea of keeping it herself because she's too scared. i don't blame her. >> sounds like something you would totally do, buy a picture for the frame. >> i did do that. i bought dolls at yard sales, too. a shirley temple one. we have a lot in common. >> coming up, don't be late. metro shut down several stations this weekend. >> so many components of his life experience that have prepared him for this moment.

>> plus news 4 sits down with ann romney, the wife

anncr: it'll start out as concrete and steel... but it'll become so much more. a new world-class resort casino in prince george's county. two thousand construction jobs to build it. four thousand permanent, good-paying jobs when it's done. hundreds of millions for maryland schools... real oversight to make sure the money goes... where it's supposed to. but none of it will happen unless we vote for... question seven this november.

vote for question seven. and help build a better future for maryland. zplchlt and now from washington's leading news station, this is news 4 today. >> hi, everyone. good morning. and welcome to news 4 today. i'm richard jordan. >> i'm angie goff. today is saturday, september 8th, 2012. stepping outside early, it's nice and cool, but chuck said buckets. i don't like it when he says buckets are coming. >> good morning to you two and good morning, everybody. saturday is finally here. you've waited all week for it. and for better or worse, there will be rain chances on your saturday. so if you need to get the lawn mowed and you can do it early, early, early this morning, you should do that. the grass is already kind of dewy wet this morning. 75 here in town, 73 now rockville and gaithersburg. 71 in hagerstown.

down into northern virginia, ash burn and leesburg in the 60s. not much on the radar just yet around town. there are some rumbles of thunder out towards fen wick island, delaware headed up to rehoboth. there are showers on the morgantown, west virginia, area, where they'll play a game there later this afternoon. showers and thunderstorms crossing the mountains. raindrops into the d.c. metro as early as lunchtime today. be ready for that. and strong to potentially severe thunderstorms arriving f this afternoon into early this evening. highs today will be in the muggy mid to upper 80s with a shower and thunderstorm chances but tomorrow the cooler, drier air moves in. tomorrow's highs only in the 70s. get your college football forecast on chuck.bell@nbcuni.com. a prostitution scandal involving five now former students but for one night the school and it fans could focus on nothing but football.

they played their first game last night since the scandal. five players voluntarily withdrew from the school yesterday. they're accused of hiring prostitutes after a road game in north carolina last weekend. school officials say the students snuck the prostitutes in to the hotel after chaperones performed their last room checks for the night. a capital heights man is behind bars charged with killing his girlfriend last month. police say the mother of two was killed for a few thousand dollars. news 4's shomari stone talked to her family who say they're finally at peace. >> there is this like shock. >> reporter: it's the moment christine brown has waited more than a month for. prince george's county police arrested the man who they say killed her daughter shavon phillips. >> i'm just happy they caught him. >> reporter: police say her boyfriend, joseph jones, killed her for around $3800 in cash. shavon was goinged to use the money at a car auction.

>> the motive in the case we believe is robbery. >> reporter: this surveillance video shows her hours before the murder helping her 2-year-old daughter out of a minivan and dropping her off at a day care center. they then drove to fredericksburg but they never made it to the auction. police say he killed her. >> her life is worth more than that. i mean, my daughter is a kind person. >> reporter: investigators tell me that they tracked joseph jones' cell phone records to this home depot in capitol heights. police went inside and they say they found him on surveillance video buying husky contractor cleanup bags. he placed her body in one of the trash bags and put it in the a canvas bag. it was discovered floating in this creek in ft. washington. investigators tell me they found garbage bags and shavon's dna in jones' van. eye like to talk to you more about him. her grandson is charged with first and second degree murder. >> i want him to suffer in jail. >> reporter: in southeast d.c., i'm shomari stone, news 4.

it's back to the campaign trail this weekend for both decision 2012 candidates. this weekend president obama will be taking a bus tour through florida. he'll start in st. petersburg before traveling to kissimmee later today. he will also make stops in melbourne and west palm beach tomorrow before heading back to the white house. meanwhile, mitt romney will be back in virginia, first in virginia beach, then at a nascar race in richmond. it comes just a day after his wife ann me a stop in the state. she hosted a women for mitt romney in leesburg. afterwards she sat down with a rare one on one with her own julie carey on how her husband and the obamas fared when they took to the stage at their parties' conventions. >> so many things in his life experience have prepared him. >> reporter: that's just one of the arguments ann romney made. she's emerged as an energetic

forceful advocate in the campaign. she did multiple satellite interviews and spoke one on one with news 4. >> i really hope that americans and virginians in particular have a really serious thought and say, you know, this guy is really competent, he's a good person, he's done a lot of turnarounds in his life. let's give him the keyses to this car and see whether he can get this engine going. >> reporter: her speech was widely praised. what's her take on president barack obama's acceptance address at the democratic convention. what did you think of the president's address last night? >> you know, i went to bed, keeping my beauty sleep because i'm usually in bed about 10:00 myself. >> reporter: but romney said she watched excerpts this morning. >> i would say that i wanted to hear not more promises but talking about what happened with the promises he made four years ago and the broken promises, and you know, he really didn't have answers for how we're going to get through this. >> reporter: first lady michelle obama gets a better review. >> i got the clips in the

morning. i thought she did a great job. >> reporter: ann romney's job now is to help her hurt better connect with women and as analysts say to humanize him. criticism his wife says is misplaced. >> because of the attacks that have been made on him i'm not surprised at all. but to not be able to talk about the part or the piece he's been out there helping other. he does these things, but guess what? he doesn't talk about those thing. so it's been my job to have to stand up and talk about those things. >> reporter: with the election two months ago, ann romney keeps up a busy campaign pace hoping to bridge that gap. she told us, i know i'll be back in virginia. julie carey, news 4. mitt romney will be on "meet the press" tomorrow at 10:30 right here on nbc 4. >> what do you want first, the good or the bad news? we've got both when it comes to traffic this weekend. first the bad, metro could be a mess with track work that will

affect seven stations on the red line alone. buses will replace trains between dupont circle and noma-gallaudet, judiciary scare and union station will be closed completely. and the red line will be out of service at metro center and gallery place. the construction will improve wireless service in metro's tunnels. now for the good news, drivers in northern virginia will finally find some relief at one of the areas most congested interchanges. two new ramps opened today connecting the eastbound dulles access road to the beltway's inner and outer loops. here is a look from chopper 4. drivers used to have to cross several lanes of traffic to exit on to the beltway, causing major traffic headaches. the ramps were built as part of the beltway express lanes project. today there's a chance to protect your identity and get rid of clutter. the community shred is from 8:00 to 11:00 this morning at prince george's community college in

largo. you can bring up to five boxes of personal papers for shredding, but do not bring batteries, electronic equipment, dvds and cds, binders or hanging file. we'll have a live report from the community shred coming up at 9:00. the time right now 6:38. >> here is a look at what's ahead for news 4 today. >> i'm liz crenshaw. deciphering diaper deals. find out where and how to

okay. so the cost of raising a child is estimated to be around $300,000. and when you're a new parent, a lot of that money seems to go to diapers. but liz crenshaw says there are ways parents can save big bucks with some great diaper deals. >> i stash them everywhere for emergencies. i'm like a squirrel. >> reporter: jessica stubbs, mother of three small children, is talking about diapers. a desperate hourly need.

she was one of a group of moms who gathered in arlington, virginia, to talk to us about the high cost of diapers. >> $70 to $80 a month. he goes through a lot of them, about 10, 11 a day. >> i get the biggest one i can buy and it's probably about $107 a month. >> reporter: deals on diapers are a must for moms and dads too. >> diapers are a significant expense. >> reporter: he's not only a dad who buys diapers, he's executive editor for washington's consumers' checkbook. >> depends on how you shop. >> reporter: for first time ever washington's consumers' checkbook conducted a diaper price survey. it shopped at local grocery stores, warehouse club store, drugstores, discounters and online. >> we found that depending on where you shop, you can spend $500 to $900 a year diapering just one kid. >> reporter: that's a difference of $400 per child each year. consumers checkbook found there are deals on diapers moms and

dads won't want to miss. it found some of the best prices at target, costco, sam's club and bj's. >> you save a lot by buying in bulk. >> reporter: no surprise checkbook found the more diapers per package, the lower the price. buying a box of diapers with more than 120, you'll likely save 15 to 20%. but this may surprise you -- checkbook found rock bottom prices for brand name diapers online with amazon. it's called amazon mom. part of its $79 annual prime membership parents get freeshiping along with the other perks. >> the prices there were far lower than the other stores we shopped. $400 in savings, the fee doesn't look so bad. >> reporter: these amazon moms love the price and diapers to their door. >> it's cheaper to buy online, then get free shipping. >> every mom knows what an ordeal it is to have to drive your children to the grocery

store. i'd rather gnaw my own arm off than do that. >> reporter: checkbook says cloth diapers have made a comeback. while it's more eco friendly, it is the most cost efficient, too, if you wash them yourself. these moms all use cloth diapers. >> it feels like the gift that keeps on giving. >> reporter: either way cloth or disposable, you can save hundreds of dollars on diapers ever year if you know where to buy. >> that's a pretty big deal for most parents. >> reporter: liz crenshaw, news 4 today. experts also say not to rule out generic brands as they're extremely cost efficient, but they warn to try out a small package first to make sure they work well for you and your child. you can see checkbooks' diaper price survey on nbcwashington.com, search diaper deals. the "today" show is coming up next. >> lester holt joins us live from new york. good saturday to you, lester. >> hey, angie and richard. coming up today a disappointing

jobs report. will it reiain on president obama's post convention parade? jurors in the drew peterson trial are speaking out. hear what that are saying about the evidence that led to his conviction. plus they were hollywood's golden come ed double, but the laughs appear to be over for will arnett and amy poehler. fans are expressing their heartbreak online. then one part song, one part dance, lots of drama. see what happens when 60 high school students come to broadway with just days to stage a musical. alex morgan stops by fresh off her gold medal win in london. this morning she's got safety tips aimed at preventing injuries. she'll give us a few tips and have us score a goal when we get started. back to you in d.c. >> lester, thanks so much. turning to weather now. >> you and lester on the same wardrobe wavelength. >> do you call each other every morning? >> we like to coordinate.

we like to have the local folks and the network folks all look like they're on the same team. >> maybe a rain jacket today. >> you better find out where the rain tote is because your saturday may be not as nice as you would like it.

anncr: it'll start out as concrete and steel... but it'll become so much more. a new world-class resort casino in prince george's county. two thousand construction jobs to build it. four thousand permanent, good-paying jobs when it's done. hundreds of millions for maryland schools... real oversight to make sure the money goes... where it's supposed to. but none of it will happen unless we vote for... question seven this november. vote for question seven. and help build a better future for maryland.

this president can tell us it was someone else's fault. but this president cannot tell us that you're better off today than when he took office. [ female announcer ] here in virginia, we're not better off under president obama. his defense cuts threaten over one hundred thirty thousand jobs, lowering home values, putting families at risk. the romney plan? tax cuts for middle class families. north american energy independence. create over three hundred forty thousand new jobs for virginia. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approved this message.

you're watching news 4 today. good morning. welcome back. >> are you ready for a little rain on your saturday? >> yes. you were just -- >> we were mocking her disposable diaper use. by we, i mean, me, myself and i. richard is like, i have to sit next to her all show. there's a little rain coming our way. we do need the rain. we're still 6 1/2 inches behind in rainfall for the year. unfortunately we'll be catching up on rainfall again on a weekend after a mostly dry week. outside on your saturday morning

weekend is under way is kind of a murky start out there this morning. temperatures and dew points feeling a whole lot more like august still, but it will feel like september before your weekend is through. but boy, what a cloudy and gray start this morning. 75 now at national airport. dew point temperatures, though, still in the low 7. so it feels extra humid this morning. winds out of the south for now averaging 10 miles per hour increasing south to southwesterly wind is on the way for later this afternoon. still in the mid-60s across the shenandoah valley. 73 in montgomery county this weekend. mild along the bay because of the warm bay water. radar shows nothing to worry about immediately in your weekend, but there are showers now moving into parts of northern west virginia. this whole line of thunderstorms will be arriving here in the shenandoah valley over the next four to five hours, then a chance for stronger, perhaps severe weather coming our way later today. raining now in morgantown, west virginia, rain showers right along the maryland/delaware

coastline all in advance of a large cold front which is coming our way. it crosses the area during the course of the day today. should be out of here in time for your sunday. as a result tomorrow is looking noticeably nicer. but stormy weather coming our way for today. rain showers out ahead of it, then a possibility of severe thunderstorms coming in late today. by this evening, the severe threat will be gone and the rain chance will be diminishing. rain should be out of here in time for your sunday morning and can't rule out a few popcorn showers during the course of the day tomorrow. but most of us, especially east of the mountains are looking for spectacular weather. today though mostly cloudy, showers and thunderstorms likely, some could be strong to severe. keep a weather eye to the sky today. warm and humid, mid to upper 80s ahead of the rain drops. then for tomorrow clouds around, but then turning much drier and much more pleasant to be outside. tomorrow's highs upper 70s to

near 80. here's the extended forecast. once we're done with the rain showers today and early this evening, that is it for rain drops for most if not all of the next week. highs upper 70s, lows mid-50s around here for much of the upcoming week. as i mention, the mountaineers of west virginia hosting the dukes of jameses madison in morgantown, a 4:30 kickoff thp might actually be dry before the game is done. if you need to see your team on tv, just tell me who is playing when and where and send it in to chuck.bell@nbcuni -- as in nbc universal --.com. >> they can, but the rules -- >> they can try tweeting me as well, but i don't check that as often. >> you'll have to be a supporter of a team further away before you see a dry forecast. >> hint hint. the new mars rover landed on the red planet a little more

than a month ago and new images show it's been busy. curiosity is rolling along the surface leaving tracks along the way. the satellite shows the rover's landing spot and scorch marks from the rocket that helped the rover land. curiosity will spend the next two years on mars to determine if the planet once supported life. coming up next, a northern virginia couple is out of their home. why they face charges this morning. plus take a look at these little guys.

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you're watching news 4 today. >> an alexandria couple is out of their home this morning after it was declared unsafe because of an animal hoarding situation there. fairfax police say they were called to the home on eighth circle yesterday and found structural issues. animal control officers caught

six cats and are setting traps to catch more that might be still inside. 68-year-old john bedwell is charged with misdemeanor cruelty to animals. madeline bedwell is charged with being an unfit owner. flooding from hurricane isaac has left animal shelters in the gulf overrun with pets that need good homes. >> several animals are in our area waiting to be adopted. how they're doing after that very long trip. >> reporter: though they can't express their feelings in words, the chorus of barks says it all. these furry four-legged creatures need a home. hurricane isaac moved through the gulf coast flooding much of the reason including han cog county, mississippi. animal shelters there needed help. >> we were contacted through the state of mississippi as a local humane society had reached out to the state level saying they needed help with the disaster. >> reporter: the washington animal rescue league stepped up

to the challenge, voluntaryi un to take in nine of the canines. >> this year when they had the hurricane coming back, they were better prepared. >> reporter: this is one of the four puppies rescued. he'll be put up for adoption in two weeks. >> those puppies are ridiculous. there will be fights over those puppies. >> reporter: mary jarvis says she's certain all these dogs will find a home. >> you know, when we have a disaster, there's always the people response first, and i understand that. but there are those animals that get hurt, too, and displaced. so there are good that there are groups that will help. >> reporter: though they're a little nervous after such a long journey, they're already feeling the love here in washington. >> these dogs have been through so much in the past week. every time you take them out for a walk, their tails are just wagging. >> reporter: wagging and waiting, anxious to find a new home. in northwest washington, seth lemon, news 4. >> oh, my gosh, they are so cute. if you'd like to make one of the

dogs a part of your family, you can get more information by visiting warl.org. i also just pulled it up online, its at on nbcwashington.com as well. i'll tweet out the link. i want a puppy. >> they said there's going to be fighting for puppy. >> how would you like five or six puppies? >> that would be pushing it with a 2-year-old. >> nicholas the dachshund is not interested in any puppies. that knucklehead will walk in a driving rainstorm as slow as the rest of the time just because. he knows i'm getting wet and i don't like it. mud flap is his name in the rain. >> that's what we expect today, right? >> kind of stormy coming up later today. keep a weather eye to the sky. we're not on the air for the next hour, but we'll be back at 8:00 and 9:00. if you w